A contact center is a communication system that connects customers to customer service agents. When customers need assistance, they call a customer service number that connects them to a contact center. The contact center plays pre-recorded messages to the customers in order to obtain basic information such as account numbers. Based on this information, the contact center places the customers in queues where they wait for agents to become available and take their calls.
When customers are placed in queues, they are often provided with estimates of their waiting times. The accuracy of the estimates affects the customers' satisfaction with the service provided by the contact center. If a customer is provided with a waiting time estimate that is off mark, the customer may become dissatisfied. Conversely, if the customer is provided with an accurate estimate, the customer is more likely to believe that the contact center operates properly. Therefore, it is beneficial for contact centers to provide customers with accurate waiting time estimates.